Bulletproof
by xlovinerdx
Summary: How far would you go to save the ones you love? What happens once you think you're both safe? Maybe the most important question would be...What happens when you've done all you can to protect them and it isn't enough? (Mainly Spamano, other pairings may be subtly mentioned at times. I originally posted this story on wattpad under the same username.)
1. Chapter 1

It wasn't like there was anything special about that night. The sky was nearly gray, hazed over with an unusually heavy evening fog, and the towns' locals strode past in every direction.

Then why, Lovino wondered, did he feel so alone?

In a matter of minutes, twenty at most, he was to arrive on the porch of a familiar Spanish man's home.

Antonio Fernañdez Carriedo's home, to be precise. The man responsible for that disgusting, disturbing, and oh-so incredibly _annoying _feeling in Lovino's chest that seemed to flare up with even the slightest of glances towards the handsome Spaniard.

It wasn't like the Italian had meant to fall in love with him. Hell, he hadn't even _wanted_ to. But life seems to be full of surprises, and now that the strong emotion was present, it wasn't going away.

It was a pointless effort, anyway. At least that's what Lovino had decided. It seemed so impossible that a man like Antonio would even consider loving him back. But, even as a rather dignified Italian man, Lovino was as clueless as a sleeping deer in the sights of a wolf.

It wasn't long before the brunette's thoughts cleared, his mind finally plummeting back into the present reality once his shoes seemed to guide themselves right up to Antonio's front door.

A deep breath, a shuffling of feet, and finally, a knock on the wood of the door. This was it. Now, at the fine time of 5:36 on this casual Tuesday night, a confession would be made. Two, if he was lucky. But of course, even the idea alone of such a possibility seemed way beyond Lovino's expectations.

If all went as planned, he decided, Antonio would listen to the most pathetic, yet oddly straightforward confession, gently refuse the Italian's feelings, and carry on with his evening.

After a near thirty seconds of waiting, the lock on the door clicked, and a grinning Spaniard waited at the now-opened front entrance.

"Ah, Lovi! How nice of you to stop by! Is there something you needed? You usually call before coming over.. Is everything alright?" He asked, his voice quickly transitioning from overly ecstatic to slightly concerned within a mere matter of seconds.

Lovino sighed, his gaze lowering from Antonio to the floor.

"I'm.. I'm fine. Idiot, you shouldn't worry so much."

He stated, his eyes traveling up to the Spaniard's once again.

"Can I come in..? It's kind of important."

At those words, the door was immediately flung the rest of the way open, an ever-grinning Antonio gesturing inside.

"Of course, of course! Come on in, I've just been experimenting with a few things on my old guitar~"

Lovino entered the home, not forgetting to remove his shoes and drop them in the sturdy little basket Antonio had placed near the door on the inside.

"Aha- Gracias, Lovino. You're the only one who's remembered to do that for months!"

Antonio chuckled, before walking away; a few steps towards his smooth, taupe couch.

"Come have a seat, Lovinito~ And then maybe you could tell Dr. 'Tonio what's on your mind, hm?" He joked, earning an eye-roll from the Italian.

"Shut up, you aren't a fucking therapist." Lovino stated, moving over to the couch and immediately plopping down on one side. "Like you'd be able to study hard enough to get those credentials, anyway."

The other male chuckled, taking his seat next to Lovino.

"Aw, Lovi. So mean~"

He chuckled, half-expecting the soft punch he received to his arm.

"You're only proving my point further, you know~"

Another punch.

"Aha- but honestly, Lovino.. What's troubling you? Something's getting to you, I can tell." Antonio stated, concern coating every last syllable that flew from his lips.

The Italian only shook his head in response. So much for being courageous and just _telling_ him.

"I, uh..."

He started, the rest of his intended words refusing to make themselves heard.

"Really, Lovi.. You're worrying me. Come on, you can tell me. If you're honestly so hesitant, I promise whatever it is will stay between us."

Antonio assured, smiling softly towards the other.

Lovino finally dared to look back at the Spaniard, but quickly averted his gaze again when he met the other's eyes.

"You know what..? Fine. I'm just going to tell you." He sighed, his heartbeat picking up speed.

This was it. This was his confession. The time for him to finally admit to all of those odd feelings that had haunted him for so long.

He took in a deep breath, exhaled, and took another.

"You know those fairytales... Where everyone just seems to have a.. a true love, I guess you could call it?"

He asked, wincing when he heard his own words. So much for being direct.

Antonio nodded in response, though his expression showed that he wasn't exactly catching on. Of course not.

"I think.. You know what, screw that. Forget the fairytale thing, I'm getting off-topic."

Lovino huffed, finally looking up at the other.

"I love you, okay? Ti amo. I know it's stupid, and you're probably disgusted by it. I'll get out of your hair now, I just thought you deserved to know."

With that, the Italian stood from the couch and started walking towards the door he'd come from, leaving a visibly shocked Spaniard behind him.

"W-Wait, Lovi!"

He cried, scrambling to his feet and rushing to Lovino.

"I don't think it's disgusting. Not at all! You don't understand something, mi tomate." He chuckled, and the Italian finally turned to face him.

"And what's that..?"

He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you something worse than disgusted? Tch, I bet that's it. Too bad. I'm not listening to this shit."

He huffed, turning again, but was stopped when a firm hand grabbed hold of his wrist and spun him back around.

"No, no, honestly, it isn't anything like that..!"

"Then what is it?"

"I- hehe, wow, this is harder than I thought.. It's a shame you weren't expecting this, really. But I suppose it's better this way. After all, maybe it'll mean more to you when I tell you 'te amo', huh?"

Lovino's eyes were wide, and he wasn't sure exactly what he was feeling at that moment.

Shock, happiness, relief? Maybe all three.

"You... Shut up, you're messing with me. Asshole, you shouldn't tease people like that." He sighed, trying to pull his arm away from the other's grip.

"Come on, I'm leaving. You don't have to pretend anything."

"No, I meant it! Please, Lovi, I'm being honest!"

Antonio stated desperately, trying to convince Lovino as quickly as possible.

"What will it take to prove this to you?"

He asked, willing to do anything in the world if it meant his Lovi would finally understand.

"I... You know what? Kiss me, if you're so sure of yourself. That's the only way I'm believing your shit. You wouldn't dare do anything like that if you weren't being.. Honest... Why are you coming closer? Y-You're being serious?!"

With that, the room fell silent, the only noise emitted from the wild beating of two hearts.

"I told you once, and I'll tell you as many times as I need to until you know I'm being completely honest.

Te amo, Lovino."

Another short, silent pause, before everything shifted all at once.

Their lips were touching. Much to Lovino's surprise, they were _kissing_.

Or rather, Antonio was kissing someone. The Italian was so incredibly baffled that he'd forgotten to return the affection.

It didn't last long. Not for more than a few seconds, but it seemed like it lasted for at least an hour.

"I- haha, there's your proof. Sorry you weren't expecting it."

Antonio smiled warmly, his bright eyes shamelessly gazing into Lovino's averted hazel ones.

When the Italian didn't respond, his smile faltered slightly, a more worried look on his face by now.

"Lovino..? What's wrong?"

"I should get going. It's probably late."

"Lovi, really! What is it? Did I do something?"

Antonio asked, almost desperately awaiting an answer.

"I said I'm going!"

Lovino snapped, finally yanking his wrist free. Just as assured, he turned and headed for the door again, a scowl on his quite flustered face.

"Will you at least let me walk you home? It's dark out. It's dangerous, Lovi."

The Italian turned around yet again to face him.

"Dangerous? Are you kidding me? I'm a grown man, stupid. It isn't dangerous."

"Lovi, please-"

"I'm not listening to this. Honestly, Antonio. You worry too much. I'll be fine."

"Can I walk you halfway...?"

"I...fine. Halfway. That's it. One step further, and you're in trouble."

And with that, the two made their way to the front door, which was politely opened for Lovino.

It was much darker than either of them had anticipated. Stars were already visible in the most shadowed spaces of the sky.

"It must be late, huh..?"

"Almost eight."

"Almost eight..?! What the hell? How did I manage to spend two and a half hours at your house?!"

"Well, maybe you were enjoying that kiss a little too mu-"

"SHUT UP, ALREADY!"


	2. Chapter 2

The duo hadn't even taken twenty steps into the city, but Antonio was already chatting away, more to himself than anyone. Lovino was almost entirely tuning him out. _Almost._

He had to make sure the idiot wasn't announcing any personal information to the world around them, after all.

". . .Aha, so cute! And that face you made when I came this close to your face was just so handsome, my Lovi~ And who in their right mind could forget about that wonderful color in your cheeks! I swear, everything's just so... _irresistible~!" _

_...Okay. _It was time to put an end to the strictly one-sided conversation.

"Oi, stupid,"

Lovino muttered, elbowing the other in the side a little harshly.

"Everyone's going to hear all of that bullshit, you know. Knock it off."

"Ah, but Lovi-"

"But Lovi _nothing. _I said enough."

With that, a short silence followed. It seemed so ridiculous to the Spaniard.

Why spend the time in silence when the time was being spent with _Lovino?_

_"_Hey... Lovi..?"

He asked, suddenly seeming much quieter than before. The guy could really switch his personality at the drop of a hat.

"Can I.. Hold your hand?"

The question hung in the air for what seemed like forever, until the tense atmosphere was interrupted by Lovino's sigh.

Since there wasn't any other answer, Antonio could only assume one thing: Lovino had indirectly agreed!

With a triumphant grin, the Spaniard snatched the other's hand, almost immediately entwining their fingers.

Never had anything felt so very _right. _

"Aha, gracias, Lovino~ Oh.. Oh wow, your hand is so cold! My poor Lovi, you must be freezing!"

"What?! I'm fine, what are you-"

"This just won't do! Come here, come here.. I'll fix this right away."

Before the Italian could say another word in protest, he had been pulled closer to the other, a sudden weight soon falling over his shoulders.

"Stupid, it's not that cold out. I don't need your jacket."

"But Lovi! Your hand was as cold as ice!"

"Then you should've kept holding onto it!"

"Ah, you're right! I've made such an awful mistake by letting go!"

Lovino rolled his eyes at the chuckle in the Spaniard's voice. What an idiot. Not another second had gone by before their hands were joined again, Antonio absentmindedly making the move to re-entwine their fingers.

"Any warmer?"

"Shut up."

"I'm serious..! Is this helping?"

"I said shut up."

"..Are we dating now?"

"I... What..?!"

That certainly wasn't the reaction that Antonio had anticipated. With a little hesitance clear in his voice, he spoke again.

"Aha- Well.. I just wanted to clarify. Because we _did_ confess our feelings to each other... _And_ we kissed... And now we're holding hands, so.. Are we?"

There was a long pause. Lovino must be thinking, he decided. Hopefully considering things for the better.

"I...Fine. We're dating. But if anyone, and I do mean _anyone_, finds out..."

He ended there, deciding that his words were warning enough.

"I understand. I won't tell a soul~"

Antonio swore, placing his free hand on his heart dramatically.

"So.. Maybe I could even call you.. Mi novio?"

"Idiot, I don't even know what that mea-"

"My boyfriend?"

"I- oh.. Y-You could.. I suppose. Another thing that you're keeping entirely between us, though."

"Of course~ You're agreeing to so much, I'm surprised! I'm afraid I might burst from all of the joy you've caused me~"

"Ooh, explosions. _How_ _romantic."_

"Ah, no, Lovi, it's just an expression-"

"I know. Ever heard of sarcasm?"

"Aha- right~"

A few minutes passed by without too much conversation between them. They were already about three-fourths of the way to Lovino's, and not one of them had even bothered to notice. The rule of "only halfway" was long forgotten by now.

In the silence, something quite unexpected happened. Antonio stiffened a bit when he felt the Italian's head rest against his shoulder.

He was being.. Affectionate?! How rare! How.. How _cute~! _

Antonio grinned, and gently squeezed the Italian's hand. He'd fallen for that stubborn, defensive, and outright _impossible _side of Lovino, but this was nothing short of the best possible bonus in existence! And all of his friends dared to tell him that the sour-faced Italian wouldn't be worth it. Oh, he just couldn't wait to rub it in their faces that they'd been so completely and entirely wrong-

Ah, but he couldn't. He'd made a promise, after all. Perhaps some other day~

Sadly, all at once, the weight from his shoulder was lifted, and a familiar voice was trying to draw his attention back to reality.

"Antonio."

"Ah, sí, Lovi? Sorry, I was thinking a little too much, I suppose~"

"Shut up and listen to me. I think we're being followed."

"Followed..? Are you sure? This neighborhood is pretty populated, I'm sure someone's just walking nearby.."

"I'm sure. It isn't that. Someone's following us.. I think maybe more than one person. I.. W-What do we do?"

"Shh, it's alright. Don't be scared, we'll be alright. I promise you. Just walk faster, okay? And don't stop."

Lovino nodded and picked up his pace a little, eventually grabbing onto Antonio's arm in fear.

As the two sped up, so did the footsteps behind them. Now was the time to worry.

"Lovino."

"S-Sì..?"

"Listen to me.. No matter what happens, Te amo. Promise me you won't forget that."

"...I promise. And the same goes for you, got it?"

"Got it, Lovi. I've got it."

Another desperate attempt to walk faster, but it was no use. The approaching group of people was growing ever closer.

It wasn't long before strong arms were wrapped around Antonio's waist, yanking him back and away from Lovino. Within seconds, another man had snatched the Italian by the arms, holding him in place.

A terrifyingly unfamiliar voice managed to hover over both Antonio and Lovino's noises of protest.

"Well, well, well... What do we have here? A couple of love bugs walking the town, eh?"


	3. Chapter 3

((I apologize beforehand for any darker scenarios, more commonly used language, violence, offensive slurs, etc. Just a heads up for anyone who would feel uncomfortable reading anything like that. By the way, I am not a fluent Spanish or Italian speaker, so please correct me if anything is misspelled/accented incorrectly. ))

"I...We aren't 'love bugs'!"

Lovino spat, narrowing his eyes at the man who seemed to be the leader of the ensemble.

The individual who had taken hold of the Italian smirked, squeezing the shorter man's arms a little tighter. This action earned a pained yelp from Lovino, and aggravated the thrashing Spaniard even more.

"Aw, what is it? Scared of your little girlfriend getting hurt, are you~?"

One man taunted, chuckling darkly.

"No, sir, it's a guy as far as I can tell!"

The male with a strong hold on Lovino called, joining the others in a collective round of smirks and laughter.

"Ah, a couple of pansy-fags, eh? What a shame. I was sure that I could get little hazel-eyes over here to fall for me." One man stated, making his way to Lovino's side. _Too close_. "Still.. Maybe I could.. _put a few differences aside_?"

He asked, running a tough-skinned finger under the Italian's chin.

"You leave him alone!"

Antonio shouted, still trying his very hardest to break free of the man's hold.

Such a dangerous expression hadn't been present on the Spaniard's face for years. He looked ready to kill a man; and probably was.

"Get the fuck away from me, you damn pervert!" Lovino ordered, jerking his head away from the male.

The only answer to his outburst was a **hard** slap across the face.

"How _dare_ you! I'll wipe you off the map, you filthy _hijo de puta!" _

Antonio spat, turning the heads of everyone present.

"Oh, yeah? And what if I did this, you little Mexican loud-mouth?"

One group member asked, reaching into his left pocket and pulling a

newly-revealed dagger up to the struggling Italian's throat.

"He's Spanish."

Lovino corrected, though his words were choked out.

"What?"

"You called him a Mexican loud-mouth.

He's fucking _Spanish_."

The brunette growled, narrowing his eyes at the man who was currently holding him captive.

Before the man could reply or make another move, a cry of pain broke out into the night. All heads jerked up to see what had occurred, and every man present was shocked to see that it wasn't Antonio being hurt, but the individual who had been keeping him in place.

On another note... Where _was_ the mentioned Spaniard..?

Suddenly, everything was clear. Antonio was free, and his glaring emerald eyes were speeding ever closer. They had gone too far.

All in one moment, the attacker's weapon was torn away, and a smirking brunette had the sharp tool held a little too close to the man's throat.

"Drop mi amor, or you drop dead."

He warned, his voice low.

Without much hesitation, the Italian was freed, although his previous captor couldn't help but send him forward with a harsh kick to the back of his knee. With a sharp cry, Lovino fell to the concrete, most of his front side heating up with the burning sensation of pain.

"I was really hoping you would've learned something by now.." Antonio sighed, his features absent of all expression. He moved in front of Lovino, who was still huddled over on the ground. With a snarl, he threw a punch at the man who'd hurt his most prized possession, his fist landing square against the other's jaw.

"Do _not_ touch him."

**Translations: **

Hijo de puta - Son of a Bitch

Mi amor - My love


	4. Chapter 4

The injured man snarled, bringing a few fingers up to prod at his tender chin.

"That was a mistake. One I can guarantee you'll regret." The man growled, swinging his fist back at Antonio. The sickening sound of knuckle against bone was emitted, and the Spaniard was taken aback.

"Antonio.. End it. It isn't worth it."

Lovino warned from his position on the ground, sensing the massive harm ahead if the brawl was continued.

"Lovino. Stay out of this."

Never had the Italian heard such cold, lifeless words from the lips of the other.

They were enough to keep him quiet as the two men before him prepared for the next advance.

Within moments, another fist flew, and the nameless gang member was sent to the ground. It seemed like Antonio had won the short little duel.

"Well done, Spaniard."

The group leader started, lifting his arm up as if he was pointing at the man he'd addressed. But his hand was not empty.

"But what would your victory be worth if you were an icy carcass on the floor?"

It was sickening how casually his dark words floated in the air.

In that moment, it was clear that the man had a gun. And it was most definitely aimed and ready to kill Antonio on the spot.

"Your poor girlfriend wouldn't have anyone to hold if you dropped dead, would she?"

He asked, emphasizing the 'she' with irritatingly precise pronunciation.

"For the last goddamn time, I'm a man!" Lovino objected, causing the man to put a little more pressure on the trigger.

"Lovino."

The Spaniard whispered harshly, knowing that another word out of the other's mouth could have him full of lead.

It wasn't dying that Antonio was afraid of, however. He just needed to make sure his precious Lovino made it out of the awful situation alright. If he couldn't protect the Italian, then who would?

Lovino stood with a little effort, before making his way over to the man about to be shot.

"One step closer, and bright eyes falls dead on the ground."

The attacker warned, keeping a sharp eye towards the movement of Lovino's feet.

The Italian risked a step anyway, and luckily a shot wasn't heard.

What a liar.

He finally made it to his destination, which happened to be directly in front of Antonio.

"Lovino, _get away_."

Antonio whispered, his tone intimidating. Still, the Italian didn't budge.

"Lovino Vargas-" He started, but was cut off by an almost ear-splitting noise.

The very distinct sound of the shot of a gun.

But.. Where was the pain? Was his chest ever this heavy before?

He needed answers.

He lifted his eyelids, glancing around at the frantic scene. The unknown men seemed to be partaking in some sort of a verbal battle. Perhaps something had gone wrong. Still, why was everyone so...tall?

Antonio had come to the conclusion that he was on the ground. Most likely put there by the force of the bullet lodged who-knows-where. He'd always expected such a situation to be a million times more painful. As his ears recovered from the damaging sound of the gunshot, he noticed something. The men were yelling about his dear Italian.

"What happened?!"

"What did the little shit do?!"

"He brought 'imself down with the Spanish guy. He dodged your bullet!"

"Dammit, you didn't hit him! Blow his brains out! Spill the shit's guts right onto the fuckin' pavement!"

"I can't! That was the last bullet in the damn pistol, Ray!"

_**Ray**_. At least the Spaniard had a name for the man he planned to slaughter for even _daring_ to speak about his little Lovi that way. Speaking of which, where was the Italian?

Frantically, Antonio scanned across the crowd, beginning to panic when the person of interest was nowhere to be found.

"L-Lovi.." He gasped, feeling sick to his stomach. What if he was dead on the ground close by? What if they were harming him _right now_?

"Lovino!" He called again, although this time, there was a shaky reply.

"I-I'm here, stupid." Came a familiar voice, just above a whisper. When Antonio looked in the voice's direction, he noticed that Lovino was, indeed, perfectly laid down over him.

That would explain the Spaniard's heavy chest. How had he not noticed his love there before?

"Get up. Hurry." The Italian ordered, lifting himself off of the Spaniard's chest and bringing himself to his feet.

Antonio quickly followed suit, his own two shoes soon standing firmly against the ground. They were ready to fight, but.. Where were the men?

Suddenly, eight arms locked themselves onto the Spaniard, another four making their way around Lovino.

They were using every man's strength to hold the two in place this time.

And it wasn't clear if _anyone_ was going to be lucky enough to make it.


	5. Chapter 5

Both the Italian and Spaniard thrashed around with as much force as they possibly could, but it wasn't any use. The men holding onto them were much stronger than they looked, and it was obvious that they had no intention of letting either of the two men go. Only one man was distanced from them, a smug look on his face.

"Fight all you want, ya scrawny pansies." The man sneered, slowly stepping closer to the struggling duo and their captors.

"The two of you aren't leaving until we have everything we need."

The ominous words visibly irritated the Italian, and it was obvious that he was going to give them all a piece of his own mind.

"And just what the hell does that mean? We're both bruised and bleeding already! There's nothing else that either of us can possibly-"

"Lovi."

"Ah.. What?"

"I think they want.. something different."

The mumbled words from Antonio's mouth caught Lovino's attention. He should've known that the heinous bastards wanted more than blood.

A sinister chuckle clouded the Italian's thoughts, bringing him back to the terrifying reality of the situation.

"Looks like bright eyes over here isn't as stupid as I thought he was."

"Don't lay a hand on him."

"Oh, my dear.. I don't think you're in any position to be giving orders."

With that, the lone man drifted over to Lovino, already far too close for comfort.

"Not like you'd be able to stop me from doing.. Oh, I don't know.. Something like this."

He taunted, bringing his face closer to the Italian's before slowly, and quite unexpectedly running his tongue along the man's cheekbone.

The fear in Lovino's eyes, along with the entire situation itself, was enough to drive Antonio mad. Even with the numerous men holding him back, he was gradually detaching himself from the group. A not-so-familiar gleam shone clearly in both his eyes. The unmistakable mark of absolute fury.

"Let me tell you something, _**señor**_." Antonio hissed, managing to tear one of his arms free from the coarse fingers of the men surrounding him.

"And I want you to understand what I'm telling you with _precise_ detail. Lovino does not, and never will belong to you. Therefore, you _will not_ harass him, you _will not_ touch him, you will not _look_ at him, if I've got anything to say about it." He growled, managing to pull his other limb from the raging captors.

"And if that isn't clear as day, I will _make_ it clear as day. Lovino is mine, and mine alone. Store that in your hollow void of a brain."

All eyes were on the Spaniard as his rage-filled speech dissipated, not one man without an expression of surprise.

"How poetic. But I think I'll have to disregard your little rant. Why don't we see what the little guy himself has to say, Hm?"

"Fuck off, you perverted asshole!"

Antonio tried his strength again, managing to push himself ahead of the people holding him back. He quickly rushed at the man before his Lovino, and quickly threw a powerful fist into his gut. It was almost surprising how quickly the other stepped back, holding his abdomen in pain.

Originally, Antonio's previous captors had tried catching up with the furious Spaniard, but had retreated at the sight of such a powerful blow and its effects.

"Lovino. Come along, we're leaving."

Antonio stated flatly, holding a hand out to the mentioned Italian man.

"Only one of us is free, dumbass."

Lovino muttered, gesturing to the smug-looking individuals that currently held his arms in place.

"Ah.. You're right. Well, I'm sure they'll reconsider their intentions when I knock them out single-handedly, huh?"

With that, he lifted a fist, narrowing his eyes at the imprisoners.

"Five seconds. Release him, or I'll see just how long it takes for my fist to travel all the way through."

Antonio warned, and the captors almost instantly removed their calloused hands from the Italian's body.

"That's better. Gracias for your cooperation~" A rather dark chuckle went along with the Spaniard's words, one that slightly startled Lovino.

"Now that there aren't any more problems.. Let's get going, sí?"

"Ah.. Right. S-Sì. Let's ditch these fucking creeps."

And with that, they were off. Not one of the potential criminals dared to follow after them, for Antonio's threats and proven strength were enough to leave them as cowards.

(( This chapter was quite short. My apologies. ))


	6. Chapter 6

Lovino and Antonio continued their walk on the path to Lovino's house, almost as if nothing had ever happened behind them. The atmosphere was tense, but a comfortable one would've seemed out of place, anyway. Neither the Spaniard or the Italian could bring themselves to lighten the mood. But then again, neither one was trying.

"You could've handled that a lot quicker than you did, you know."

Lovino stated flatly, his words half-mumbled. Of course he was grateful that the other had saved him, but his pride wouldn't allow him to say so straightforwardly.

"Ah...What? I thought I was pretty quick. Sorry to have you home late."

Antonio replied, only partial energy embedded into his words this time. After all, it had been a rough night already. Lovino's comment wasn't doing much but fueling the tension.

"Yeah.. You should be."

Antonio sighed, glancing over at the Italian almost pleadingly. Now was not the time for Lovino's purposeful attitude.

"Ah, Lovi.. Come on, I saved your ass back there, didn't I? Maybe both metaphorically _and_ literally. That guy was getting a little touchy, don't you think?"

Lovino was quiet for a considerably long moment, before opening his mouth just slightly to reply.

"The guy _licked_ my fucking face. "A little touchy" doesn't even begin to describe that perverted dickwagon."

He huffed, keeping his gaze on the road just ahead of his feet.

"...Grazie, asshole."

The words were quiet and meant to be unheard, but Antonio caught onto them, anyway.

"De nada, Lovinito~ I'd save you again in a heartbeat."

He swore, placing one hand over his heart just for dramatic effect.

The conversation ended shortly after, but not without Lovino's ever-so necessary outburst of

"I saved you too, fuckface!"

Minutes passed in silence, neither man testing a glance towards the other for fear the they'd be staring back. The entire situation seemed so awkward and unrealistic. The two couldn't remember a time when the conversation had been so unbelievably dead.

It wasn't long before the duo found themselves near Lovino's home. The planned final destination, and the place that Antonio dreaded most. After all, this would have to be where he'd lose his Italian companion for the walk home. Now that was a thought that the Spaniard refused to hold onto. He'd miss Lovino too much walking back on his own!

"Ah.. Lovi..?"

Antonio half-mumbled, finally shifting his gaze a little shyly to the other's as they advanced onto the home's front porch.

"You wait until I have to leave to ask a question.. Unbelievable."

Lovino sighed, shaking his head softly.

"What do you want? Don't take forever explaining this, either. ..._Please_."

Antonio took the cue to speak, and smiled at the other, though his expression seemed more nervous than genuinely cheerful.

"I was thinking... Since you're all alone over here, and.. so close to the gang we ran into... Maybe I should stay the night?"

He asked timidly, already predicting that the Italian's answer would be a resounding, echoing '_**No**_.'

"...Sì, alright. Just for the night, though. Oh- and you're sleeping on the porch."

Lovino answered, a somewhat smug look creeping onto his face once he caught sight of the Spaniard's wide eyes.

"O-On the porch..?! Lovi, please..! Por favor, not on the porch!"

Antonio practically begged, taking Lovino seriously. Which may have been the right thing to do. The Italian was rather unpredictable.

"I know you. You'll try something. Honestly, this is for the best."

Lovino declared, adding a curt nod to the end of his reply. It seemed fitting enough.

"Lovino, I'd never! C'mon, you can trust me!"

Antonio told him honestly, though the chuckle behind his words made him seem like a liar.

"...Fine, bastard. One night. That's all. You can sleep on the couch, but that's as close as you'll be getting to me."

Lovino explained, jabbing his pointer finger against the Spaniard's chest.

"Understood?"

"Sí, querido~ I understand."

"...The fuck did you just call me?"

Antonio said nothing, though a quiet chuckle escaped him.

"I mean it..! Was that one of your lame-ass nicknames? Or-"

"Darling."

Antonio interrupted, a warm smile on his lips.

"Querido means darling, _my_ _darling_~"

"...You'd better get your ass inside before your motherfucking "darling" changes his mind about the porch."

Lovino growled, though the tiniest of smiles was hidden in his features. He wasn't being entirely serious, of course.

"Not the porch!"

Antonio cried rather dramatically, his previous smile widening.

"Anything but the porch..!"

By now, the Spaniard was close to full-on laughing, his hand reaching for the door knob on Lovino's front door. For whatever reason, he hadn't expected it to be locked tight.

"Idiota. You think I want thieves and axe murderers hiding in my shelves? If you want to get inside, you'll need this key."

Lovino explained, snatching the mentioned key from his pocket before tossing it to the other without warning. Luckily, Antonio managed to catch it (although he was quite clumsy about doing so).

"It's a good thing this wasn't stolen back there, huh?"

"Ah.. Yeah. Definitely."

Once Antonio had unlocked and opened the door, Lovino moved forward in an attempt to walk inside. However, he was stopped abruptly by two tan arms quickly wrapping around him, which cancelled his advancement entirely.

"What the...? Antonio, I swear to god, if you don't let me go right now, I'll-"

"Shh, Lovi."

Antonio chuckled, raising one arm up slightly and pressing a finger to the Italian's lips.

"What the hell is this supposed to prove?!"

Lovino asked, as the Spaniard's finger was removed.

"I'm just making sure I catch the thief for you! You said you didn't want any hiding in your shelves, so I'm taking care of this one before he gets inside!"

"I...the fuck? What point are you trying to make here..?"

"You're a thief, Lovi!"

"Oh, am I? And just what did I steal? ...Wait.. You bastard, I bet you're going to say-"

"Silly Lovi~ you stole.."

"Don't you _fucking_ dare.."

"My heart~!"

"...Incredible. Fucking incredible."


	7. Chapter 7

It had taken them a while, but the duo eventually made their way into Lovino's house. Antonio hadn't released the Italian until _after_ they were inside, most likely just to peeve the other. Which it most certainly _did_.

The first thing in the house that Lovino went after was the living room couch, which wasn't much of a surprise.

_'Poor Lovi's probably exhausted..'_

Antonio thought to himself, frowning a bit as he made his way over to the couch to sit near the Italian.

"Ah.. It's been quite a day, hasn't it..?" The Spaniard asked, trying to begin a conversation.

"You could say that.."

Came a quiet reply. Maybe Lovi wasn't in the mood for talking, after all.

Maybe all he needed was some.. Affection? Eh, might as well try it.

Without a word, Antonio scooted a little closer to the other, carefully wrapping an arm around him.

"Bastard, what the hell-"

"You seemed lonely over there by yourself."

Antonio replied, shrugging as best he could with his one free arm.

"Ha, as if. Lovino Vargas doesn't have the time to be lonely."

The Italian stated proudly, tilting his chin up a little.

"Oh? So you mean you never sit alone and wonder how it would feel to be held by another? Sort of like.. This?" Antonio asked, moving his other arm under the other's knees, just about to lift him up, when-

"Agh, don't do that! My knees, stupid!"

A very confused, yet very worried Antonio set the other's legs back down where they rested, an expression of concern on his face.

"What is it? Did I hurt you? Ah, Lovi.. Whatever it is, lo siento, I-"

"Would you shut up, already?"

Lovino asked, effectively cutting Antonio off.

"It wasn't your fault. Don't worry about it so much. It's just that my knees were pretty scraped up after that one guy sent me to the ground."

He almost mumbled, looking down just slightly.

"Oh, I remember now.. Really, Lovino. I'm sorry for being so forgetful. Maybe we should clean up those wounds, huh?"

"I-Idiot, they're just some scratches, I don't think that's really-"

"Alrighty, off to the bathroom, then~! Dr. Carriedo will fix you right up!" Antonio chuckled, almost picking the younger male up once more before he remembered the previous incident.

"Aha.. Right. Can you walk on your own?"

"Of course I can walk on my own! I'm not _that_ hurt!"

"Okay, okay, just thought I'd ask~"

Antonio chuckled once more, snatching the Italian's hand without hesitation.

"Maybe it would be alright if we just left everything as is.."

Lovino mumbled, not wanting to admit to the fact that he was a little afraid of how much the cleaning of the wounds would hurt.

"Aw, c'mon, Lovi! You don't want your nice, soft skin to be infected and scarred, do you?"

"Well... No, but-"

"No buts, my dear~ we have to get those cuts cleaned out eventually."

"I... Fine. Idiot."

Antonio grinned, glad that he was able to convince Lovino to have his injuries taken care of. He'd hate to see his little Lovi suffer more than he already was, after all!

The Spaniard moved in front of Lovino, still grasping the other's hand. With one relatively slow movement, he bent down, lifted the Italian's hand to his lips, and placed a soft, lingering kiss onto his skin. The deep red color seeping onto the speechless brunette's cheeks was a wonderful sight.

"S-Stupid! The hell was that..?!"

"Aha- Me.. Trying to be romantic..?"

"Well, quit it so we can get these stupid scratches to stop burning like hell!"

"But I thought you didn't want to have me take care of them for you~"

"Take me up to the bathroom and clean this shit right now, or I swear, I'm chopping off your head."

"Ah.. You aren't being serious, are you?"

"I like to consider myself a chef, 'Tonio. You know how many _knives_ a chef owns?"

"...T-To the bathroom!"

(( Sorry for all of these terribly short chapters. I'll try to make them a lot longer as the story moves along! ))


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